Vehicular rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating these elements

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved electro-optic rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating the same. Area of the effective field of view of the electro-optic mirror element substantially equals to that defined by the outermost perimeter of the element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicular rearview assembly having a front and front peripheral region, the assembly comprising:
 a first substrate including
 a first surface corresponding to the front; 
 a second surface; and 
 a first transparent electrically conductive electrode layer carried on the second surface; 
 
 a second substrate including
 a third surface; and 
 a fourth surface; and 
 an at least partially reflective stack of materials carried on at least a portion of at least one of the third surface and the fourth surface; 
 
 a perimeter seal between the first substrate and second substrate; 
 
       wherein the first substrate, second substrate, and the perimeter seal define a cavity;
 an electro-optic medium disposed in the cavity between the first substrate and the second substrate and bounded by the perimeter seal; and 
 a ring of spectral filter material disposed circumferentially at a periphery area of the first substrate on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, wherein a diffuse reflectance at the periphery area of the first substrate is greater than a specular reflectance by at least about 3 L* units. 
 
     
     
       2. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffuse reflectance associated with the periphery area is defined by an element including at least one of (i) a material deposited in the periphery area of the first substrate (ii) an area of the first substrate a surface texture of which has been modified, in the periphery area, as compared to an original surface texture of the area, and (iii) an intermediate layer that includes one or more of (iiia) a transparent material layer, (iiib) a semi-translucent material layer including small particles therein, and (iiib) a semi-transparent layer a texture of which differs from that of a surface of the first substrate in the periphery area, the intermediate layer disposed in the periphery area. 
     
     
       3. A rearview assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the diffuse reflectance is associated with the first surface. 
     
     
       4. A rearview assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the diffuse reflectance is associated with the second surface. 
     
     
       5. A rearview assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the element defining the diffuse reflectance is behind the ring of spectral filter material with respect to the front. 
     
     
       6. A rearview assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the element defining the diffuse reflectance is in front of the ring of spectral filter material with respect to the front. 
     
     
       7. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the electro-optic medium include electrochromic medium. 
     
     
       8. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second transparent electrode layer carried by the third surface, wherein the transparent second electrode layer includes a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). 
     
     
       9. A rearview assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the TCO includes one or more of ITO, F:Sn02, Sb:Sn02, Doped ZnO such as AI:ZnO, Ga:ZnO, B:ZnO, and IZO. 
     
     
       10. A rearview assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the third surface carried the at least partially reflective stack of materials, the stack including the second transparent electrode layer. 
     
     
       11. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least partially reflective stack of materials includes at least one of Al90/Si10, Cr, Brass, Ti, AgAu7X, Ru, Ni, TiO2, and SiO2. 
     
     
       12. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring of spectral filter material includes one or more of a dielectric layer, silver, chrome, black chrome, ruthenium, stainless steel, silicon, titanium, nickel, molybdenum, nickel chromium, Inconel, indium, palladium, osmium, cobalt, cadmium, niobium, brass, bronze, tungsten, rhenium, iridium, aluminum, aluminum alloy, scandium, yttrium, zirconium, vanadium, manganese, iron, zinc, tin, lead, bismuth, antimony, rhodium, tantalum, copper, gold, platinum, a platinum group metals, an oxide thereof, and an alloy thereof. 
     
     
       13. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffuse reflectance at the periphery area of the first substrate is greater than a specular reflectance by at least about 10 L* units. 
     
     
       14. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffuse reflectance at the periphery area of the first substrate is greater than a specular reflectance by at least about 20 L* units. 
     
     
       15. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffuse reflectance at the periphery area of the first substrate is greater than a specular reflectance by at least about 50 L* units. 
     
     
       16. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a color difference between the peripheral region containing the ring of spectral filter material and a region of the assembly encircled by the ring is less than 30 C* units, wherein C* is a metric defined according to CIELAB based on a CIE standard D665 illuminant and a 10-degree observer. 
     
     
       17. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the front peripheral region is characterized by a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm. 
     
     
       18. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the front peripheral region is defined by a surface of glass having a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm. 
     
     
       19. A rearview assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the front peripheral region includes a bezel element having a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm. 
     
     
       20. A vehicular rearview assembly having a front and front peripheral region, the assembly comprising:
 a first substrate including
 a first surface corresponding to the front; 
 a second surface; and 
 a first transparent electrically conductive electrode layer carried on the second surface; 
 
 a second substrate including:
 a third surface; 
 a fourth surface; and 
 an at least partially reflective stack of materials carried on at least a portion of at least one of the third surface and the fourth surface; 
 
 a perimeter seal between the first substrate and second substrate, wherein the first substrate, second substrate, and the perimeter seal define a cavity; 
 an electro-optic medium disposed in the cavity between the first substrate and the second substrate and bounded by the perimeter seal; and 
 a ring of spectral filter material disposed circumferentially at a periphery area of the first substrate on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the reflectance value of the periphery area corresponding to the ring is less than 50% as measured in ambient light incident onto the first surface from the front.